a toast, to the small breeze amidst the storm
by ladygalaxyj
Summary: (Now slitghly-AU with the events of 319.) During the missing year, Robin visits Belle at Rumpelstiltskin's castle. They come to a deeper understanding of one another over a cup of tea, and the roots of their friendship grow. Implied background Outlaw Queen and Rumbelle. Spoilers up to 3x15.


_I realised I hadn't uploaded all my fics to . Fixing that problem._

_Originally posted on AO3 on April 24th. Now slightly AU with the events of 319. Just pretend they are not at Rumple's castle, 'kay? ;)_

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**a toast, to the small breeze amidst the storm**

"_As long as we have memories, yesterday remains. As long as we have hopes, tomorrow awaits. As long as we have friendship, each day is never a waste."_

Five months after the return to the Enchanted Forest.

Robin climbed down from his horse in front of the giant oak doors of the Dark One's castle. It had been some time since he had visited the imposing estate. The aged building dominated this part of the forest. In the days before the Evil Queen's curse, no one dared set foot in its perimeter because of the horror stories spreading from village to village. Rumours of the terrible fortress were only slightly exaggerated, as Robin had experienced himself when he tried robbing from the magician.

Nowadays however, Rumpelstiltskin wasn't home, and the person in charge of the castle was a friend to the realm. With Rumple's sacrifice in Storybrooke, his lands went to Belle - and his son before he gave his life to save his father. The woman had taken it upon herself to sort through the dust, spider webs and enchantments tarnishing her beloved's estate. She was making slow but remarkable progress.

Most people still kept their distance by habit; centuries of fear were hard to forget. The royals and Belle mutually agreed that it was better this way. She was left alone to maintain the castle as she pleased, but it was also declared as a second safe refuge from the Wicked Witch if Regina and Snow's castle ever fell.

After she left with Neal in search of a way to bring back Rumpelstiltskin from the dead, Belle had never come back. She had sent a note by bird, containing a detailed retelling of the events, and Snow had ordered that a troop be sent to check up on her. When they were convinced she wasn't in need of assistance, the royals had opted to stay in touch with her by magic mirror. The woman was proving to be a valuable asset in their fight against Zelena. The Dark One's castle was full of books on any and every subject, and Regina hoped that some of them would be helpful to their cause. The two women had put their differences aside and worked together many hours per day.

When Robin and his men entered the main hall, Belle was already walking towards them with a warm smile on her face. "I heard the horses coming," she greeted them with enthusiasm, delighted to have visitors. Hugs and handshakes were exchanged as everyone had missed the presence of the woman they had come to know prior to her departure with Baelfire.

The outlaw told his men to put down their equipment in the main hall as he headed towards a corner of the room to drop his own bow and quiver.

Despite the happy chatter of his comrades, he recognized the soft footsteps of a woman coming in his direction. "I don't see Roland," he heard Belle inquire behind him.

Robin finished removing his cloak and placed it on top of his things. He then turned to face their host. "Travel across the kingdom is not safe for a boy. Despite his pleas, Roland stayed at the castle. Regina is looking after him," he informed her with a fondness that Belle picked up on.

"_Regina?_" the brown head repeated, a smirk floating on her lips.

"She's good with children," he counteracted quickly. Many of his Merry Men had voiced their objections when he announced whom Roland was to stay with while he was away. His reply was a practiced one that he had repeated to every one of them.

Belle let out a muffled laugh at his defensive justification. "Oh, I have no doubt the _Queen_", she teased, stressing Regina's title, "is perfectly able to handle a five-year-old."

Realizing where he had slipped, Robin stared at his old friend, unmoving, as a light pink coloured his cheeks. It was one thing to refer to one of their monarchs by her first name in his head; it was another to casually drop it in a conversation. At least, Belle wasn't questioning the Queen's capacity to take care of his boy. The outlaw vainly tried to hide his blushing state by looking at his feet like a five-year-old caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

She didn't push the issue, for which Robin was forever grateful. However he learned by the pleased gleam in her eyes that Belle knew exactly how uncomfortable she had made him. "How was your trip?" she changed the subject back to matters at hand.

The outlaw jumped at his chance to escape further pestering about his non-existent relationship with the Queen and answered promptly, "Not too bad. Only one encounter with the Wicked Witch's simian agents. A few cuts and bruises, but nothing a good rest won't cure."

"Good," Belle echoed his relief. "I prepared a few ointments and warm water for you and your men. They're in the adjoining room."

He thanked her, and they set to work, making sure everyone had what they needed for the few nights they were to spend at Rumpelstiltskin's estate. Belle's gracious hospitality made the Dark One's castle a welcoming place for Robin and his men. The state building had much improved since he had last set foot inside.

He lost track of his friend during the afternoon; she eclipsed herself when she wasn't needed, but they caught up after dinner when she offered him a cup of tea and some time alone in her personal library. The thief loved the companionship of a group, but the peace and quiet of Belle's tower sounded extremely appealing.

As they made their way through the halls, Robin observed the woman at his side. She seemed happy enough, but he recognized the dark circle under her eyes and her slightly slouched shoulders. She looked tired; a fact he could infer from what he knew the woman has gone through in the last few months. "How are you holding up?" he prodded gently, hoping Belle considered him a close enough friend to open up. She looked like she needed it.

"I'm guess I'm okay," she reassured him, "most days." She paused and let out a small sigh. "I keep busy, and I make myself useful. I've been reading some of Rumple's darkest magic volumes to help the Queen. I found a few interesting incantations she might want to see. I also have ingredients to give you before you head back." They reached the spiral staircase leading up to the upper floor of the estate, and Robin let Belle climb up first. She resumed updating him as they headed up, "I've also been dusting off the castle in my spare time. It feels like Rumple stopped caring after I left." The sudden drop in her tone told the thief that it made her sad, but she let go of the bad feeling immediately, and quipped jokingly, "The place was a mess when I got in."

They both chuckled at that, knowing that the last castle residents were in fact Robin and his Merry Men; they hadn't bothered cleaning up before leaving. The thief was pleased to see that his friend didn't let her morale spiral down despite the events, and that she still found it in herself to laugh from time to time.

At the top of the stairs, Belle indicated an empty seat at the table in the center of the room. She went to the left to make tea while Robin gladly took her invitation to sit down. The journey from the Queen's castle had been fairly good in retrospect, but he was tired from the long trek. The Evil Queen and the Dark One lived on opposite sides of the kingdom, and they had to be vigilant for Zelena's flying monkeys every step of the way.

The outlaw allowed himself a moment to close his eyes, dropping his guard for the first time in three days. The silence of Belle's library provided a welcome respite from their stressful journey across the land. He could hear the clipping of cups in the distance as she poured them something to drink, but he zoned out and let his mind wander.

His eyelids felt heavy. He had trouble sleeping when he was far away from Roland for so long. He knew his son was in the safest place of the realm; the Queen's castle was protected by powerful magic, preventing Zelena from attacking it directly. And if he dared think about the woman herself, he knew Her Majesty was the best one he could have left Roland with. Little John had made sure Robin knew he disapproved, but the thief knew Regina wouldn't let any harm come to a child. He also suspected that deep down the Queen had gotten quite attached to his little boy. She would never admit it out loud and had accepted the task of looking after Roland with her royal grace, but Robin was sure she was enjoying every minute she spent with the child. The father in him couldn't blame her; Roland was a little angel.

"Here," he was taken out of his daydreaming by Belle's voice as she set a porcelain teacup on the table and took the seat across from him.

Reaching for the steaming beverage, the outlaw hummed appreciatively and took a long sip. "Thank you," he said, feeling the liquid warming its way down his throat.

They sat in companionable silence for a few minutes, savouring the quiet. Robin could hear the faint laughs and voices of his travelling companions as they settled down in the main hall. They were to stay here for a week before half of them headed back to the Queen's castle. The remaining half would stay and help Belle. Even though Rumpelstiltskin's castle was as safe a place as any, the Charmings didn't want to leave Belle alone inside its walls any longer. A few guards and volunteers had been sent to help defend the place in prevention of an attack. Snow had asked Robin to lead the way, as he knew the forests better than most. The royal guard had spent thirty years in another realm with the benefits of modern technology; their reflexes weren't as sharp when they came back to the Enchanted Forest.

Slowly coming back to his present company, Robin broke the amiable silence, "I never properly thanked you for freeing me all those years ago." He set down is cup in front of him. "I thought I was as good as dead, and that I would never get to even meet my son. I owe you much Belle."

The woman smiled fondly at the memory. "It was nothing," she spoke back. "You would have done the same."

"Maybe," the outlaw mused out loud, hoping she was right. There were things he had done as a thief that he wasn't proud of, but he liked to think that the brown head was right - that he never judged people before he truly knew what was at the core of their heart. "You've always seen beyond the surface," he remarked, half asking it as a question.

"So do you," Belle was quick to reply, her voice free of doubt.

Her certainty surprised Robin. "Do I?" he wondered genuinely, not exactly sure if he was asking Belle or himself.

She immediately chuckled, and Robin looked intently at her, thoroughly confused as to why she thought it was funny. She let out another giggle as their eyes met; he could see a playful gleam in her gaze. "I don't see anyone else _willingly_ spending time alone with the Evil Queen," she explained, her implications clear as day.

Robin's jaw dropped for a moment before he could formulate an answer. "I just think she needs to be given a chance," he babbled unconvincingly. He reached out to take a sip from his cup to occupy his mouth instead of saying something he might regret. He had underestimated his friend's cunning earlier; he wouldn't make the same mistake again.

Belle lifted her cup dipped her head but looked up knowingly at him before the porcelain touched her lips. "My point exactly," she winked and took a large gulp of her tea. She set her cup back on the table and sat back in her chair, clasping her hands on her lap. "You tell yourself that every body deserves a chance," she started, eyes unfocused, obviously cherishing some memory at the same time. "Then one day, you realize you've never been happier than when you're with them." A sad smile tugged at the corner of her lips, as she gazed in the distance. "And before you know it, you can't live without them," she reminisced, her voice suddenly quivering.

He thought he saw her eyes water for a moment, but when she looked back at him, her gaze was filled with determination, as if no tears had threatened to fall at all. Robin realized which memories had sparkled back to life in her mind, and he apologized immediately, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…"

"It's alright," she cut him, waving off his concern with her hand. "I know Rumple's out there," she stated with emotion, "and I will always fight for him." She paused, and Robin was astonished by her courage. The woman had lost so much to dark magic, and here she was reading books about it, still fighting, and helping others to the best of her abilities, never giving up when so many other would have after what she'd endured. "The Wicked Witch will not win this one," Belle added as an after thought.

Robin extended his arm and took her hand in his. "She's not going to win," he reiterated, "period." Belle was incredibly strong, but the outlaw wanted to make sure she knew he was here for her. He still felt like he owed her for saving his life, and even if he didn't, he would still want to do everything in his power to help her. "You are not alone Belle," he almost whispered, gently clasping their hands together. "I'm here, and we will get through this."

Her fingers curled around his, and she squeezed his hand back. When their eyes locked on one another, he could feel a new understanding establishing itself between them. The two people they cherished were at the mercy of their own darkness and struggled to see the light. Belle and he knew better than to judge them at face value; the storm raging inside them was a hard one to fight, but it wasn't insurmountable. Even if they couldn't be qualified as purely good yet, the once Dark One and Evil Queen were at least allies, and they needed help to battle their inner demons. It was the place Belle occupied for Rumple, and the one Robin subconsciously hoped Regina would let him take, even if he didn't yet realize just how deep the roots of his feelings for the Queen went.

Hope was a powerful thing, in the words of Snow White, but Robin and Belle knew it was also a terrible burden weighing them down.

It was a relief for both of them to know that they weren't alone to fight for the goodness hidden in the heart of the people they loved. There was at least another person out there who understood exactly what they were going through. Robin knew Belle would welcome him any time with advice should he need it, and he could provide her with a sounding board when her worries became too much to bear.

They never said any of this out loud, but the thief could read it in her eyes, and he hoped his own portrayed the same emotion. They could use each other's support, especially as the two people they cared for were in danger. One was already in the hands of the Wicked Witch, and the other was her main target. And both were reverting to their old ways as a mean to protect themselves from harm.

New allies were hard to come by these days, and the unspoken bond they shared was a comfort. A true friend; someone who understood, who wouldn't judge, who would listen and offer advice, who would hold you when you needed to cry, and with whom you could still make silly jokes from time to time.

Interlacing their fingers, Robin reached for his cup with his other hand and raised it, offering a bittersweet toast. "To those we care for," he simply said.

Belle clicked her cup on his.

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_Reviews, as always, are greatly appreciated. :)_


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